Years Later
by IamAnubis117
Summary: Somethings change and others don't. Spoiler for SGU.


It's been years since she's seen him. She never thought that would happen yet when she looks back on it she's not surprised it did. She thought she should have seen it coming. He moved to DC and she moved to Nevada and then back to the SGC then to Atlantis and so on for years. She saw his names on reports. She saw his face on communications but never in person and never as a personal message. Then, he retired. She always thought they'd work it out but maybe she was wrong. The Air Force was never the only thing standing in their way. They were standing in their way. Neither stepped forward and approached the other because she was unsure how he felt.

She stood in the airport at Denver waiting for her connection to Washington DC when she saw him standing with his back mostly to her. She realized she'd recognize him anywhere and she was always hoping to run into him. Her question was: should she approach him? Her heart said yes but she had doubts about whether he'd be happy to see her. Well, she'd give it a shot. She stood and walked down the corridor.

"Sir…"

"I'm retired damn it." He turns. "Carter…hi"

"Hi. Sir. Long time no see."

"that's true. Where are you headed?"

"to visit mark in California."

"really? I'm off to Washington for a party. You'd think they'd stop inviting you once you've retired but they don't fyi. I got a call from Hank saying that he thought I'd like to be there…apparently theirs a surprise but I'm not sure what it is….do you know?"

"I don't sir, sorry. It's not the same without you. General Landry, as you know, replaced you at Homeworld security and General Smith replaced him at the SGC."

"Smith? I don't know him. Heard briefly about him once…is he a good leader?"

"He's fine. It's just changed so much from the old days with Hammond. Some days I don't even recognize any of the people. I enter the SGC cafeteria and look around don't even know the people at all."

"I always told you that you needed to get out more."

"you did."

"What's your job these days?"

"CO of SG-1 and I over see science and research but they're moving a lot of that to Area 51 so it's not as big of a job anymore. No one on SG-1 the same of course. Cam's the CO of the beta site. Daniel's on Atlantis. Teal'c is with the Jaffa. Vala's on a relief mission on well I probably shouldn't say…"

"I use to run the place. Come on I know all about all these things."

"new things happened."

"did they ever rescue the people stuck on the Destiny? I hated to leave them but I wanted to retire."

"no sir…that's the relief mission actually."

"ah so…how have you been?"

"well…fine. Where do you live these days anyway?"

"at the cabin. I've thought about moving back to Colorado. The Academy and the SGC offered me a joint job. Training recruits."

"no surprise there. When did they offer it to you?"

"about a week ago."

"you'd rather fish though."

"hey! Fishing is fun! I am retired. So I can do what I want."

"that's true. You can do whatever you want. Is it nice?"

"mostly. I haven't done everything I want."

"like what?"

"uh…well."

"Sir?"

"Stop calling me sir. I'm not you're CO anymore. It's been like that for years."

"okay. Jack. What have you not done as a retired man?"

"ask you out on a date?"

"oh."

"yeah. Well."

"you haven't asked."

"do you want me to?"

"ask the question Jack."

"will you go out on a date with me Samantha Carter?"

" yes Jack O'Neill; I'd love to."

"k cool. Now I wish I'd asked 3 years ago when I retired."

"yes well let's not dwell."

"I think I'll have to say yes about that job Hank offered me…"

"why? Well one that'll mean I'll move back to Colorado and two, that means I'm acceptable company for a Colonel such as you're self. I don't want to be jobless."

"I'll be glad you'll be back in Colorado."

"me too."

Then the intercom sounded. "Flight to 7856 to Washington DC will now begin boarding."

"ah well. I guess I've got to go. I'll call you so we can go out on this date."

"please do. It was great to see you."

"I'm glad you walked over. I didn't have the guts to walk over to you."

"you saw me?"

"yeah."

"well…."

"look…I just didn't know where we stood after all these years, but I'm glad we stand where we stand and I'm sorry I didn't come over."

"I debated coming over too so I'm not mad. I'm just glad I did."

"I am too. We'll I've got to go. I'll call you soon."

"the number changed."

"I guess I need it then."

"yes you do." She pulls a pen out of her purse and grabs his hand and writes on it. "there you go."

"thanks. Bye." He kisses her on her cheek. "I'm saving a real kiss for the date."

"I'll hold you to that flyboy."

"that's fine."

"Last Call for flight 7856 to Washington DC."

"you've got to go."

"yeah. Bye!"

"bye." He walks away and she watches him leave.

A few minutes later on the flight his seat mate asks. "so you've already got one number today I see. Do you want a second?"

"what? No thanks. I'm taken."

"really. You must have just met the woman."

"nope."

"then why didn't you have her number."

"it took me 17 years to ask her out on a date so that's when I got the cell number."

"17 years?"

"yeah. You'd think she'd have given it to you for something else by then. Yeah her work cell number not her personal one."

"well...man you really don't have guts."


End file.
